1. United States
2. Texas
3. Letter

Signalgate. This may finally be a thing that will break through the nation’s consciousness. A thing that might perk up ears regardless of whether they follow daily politics or not. National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, VP Vance, Sec. of Defense Pete Hegseth, Sec. of State Marco Rubio, Director of NI Tulsi Gabbard, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, WH Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff (while in Russia!), WH Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller yakking it up about bombing Yemen. There were apparently others, but Atlantic editor Jeffrey Goldberg declined to name at least one of them because of the sensitive nature of their identity given the position they hold in government. Who is this person? And given the high-ranking officials on this text chat, who could have an even more sensitive identity? You should find out. We are watching on-the-job training for our highest security officials. This is what happens when you, YOU, confirm people to jobs they are neither suited nor qualified for. And they come into the job believing they already know everything they need to know. Project 2025, which has become the handbook for the Trump administration, recommends using private apps to conduct official business, so as to evade records-keeping laws. Mike Waltz reportedly set the messages in the war-planning group chat to disappear after a matter of weeks. How can federal information retention laws be followed if officials hide and delete communications? Especially bombing another country? With the further release today of more texts from the chat, it is apparent that the officials brought before the House committee for clarification this week are not being truthful. They got caught. They are deflecting. They are evading. They are attacking a reporter. They are denying culpability. They are doing everything except taking responsibility. They did not do the jobs they assured us they could do with professionalism. And ability. So while most of the Republican leadership shrugged off concerns about the unprecedented security breach, further ceding power to the Trump administration, we see the truth of it. These folks were confirmed, even though they were unqualified, because of politics. But these people have an obligation to the people who put themselves at risk to keep our nation secure. That’s true no matter which party is in office. If the officials responsible for this debacle and the president they serve are inclined to just wave it off, it is up to Congress to protect the men and women who serve all of us, and who deserve better than this. Do you think they deserve better? Does America deserve better? I guess we’ll find out.